Endless First Dates
by Angsty Glowstick
Summary: When Bryan first met Yuri by chance one October morning, he would never have guessed how complicated things would turn out… YuBr slash DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
1. The Meeting That Started It All

**Endless First Dates**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Beyblade. Period. Also, the plot for this fic is very heavily inspired by the movie _50 First Dates_.

**Summary**: When Bryan first met Yuri by chance one October morning, he would never have guessed how complicated things would turn out… (YuBr slash)

**Notes**: Ah god, I'm so inspired to write this fic! So here I am, starting it! If you have seen 50 First Dates, then you'll roughly know how this is going to turn out. BUT, the ending I have planned is quite dissimilar to the movie. I hope you enjoy the first (short!) chapter.

**HE SMILED**, burying his mouth into the warm green scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. It was not a very cold day but the October morning did have a tentative chill. He disliked the cold. However, the sun was too bright not to chance a walk outside, and he was furrowed in a grey jacket that kept him content.

Strolling along the park, he passed around the playground where children in warm attire screamed happily. Smiling despite himself, he did not see the wooden bench that was to the right. Until he accidentally nudged into someone's legs, that is.

"Ah—" he turned so as to face the individual in question. Piercing blue eyes met his silvery gaze, stealing his breath for a moment. The man was beautiful and had a head full of flammable red locks that seemed to scorch against the dreary background.

"S-sorry," he stuttered, after a second of silence. The other, who had looked slightly out of place, smiled awkwardly.

"It's fine," he said shortly, "I was liberally stretching my legs."

He returned the smile embarrassedly, "No, it's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going."

The striking features shrugged, "It's both out faults, then," he concluded.

Nodding in silent agreement, he turned and sat on the other end of the bench. For a long moment they both watched as parents played with their children. A little girl flapped her hands wildly as she slid down the slide and into her mother's arms. A man was singing a children song as he pushed both a girl and a boy on the swings. A couple were taking pictures avidly of their toddler as he attempted to climb the stairs.

Feeling eyes on him, he turned his head and met breathtaking icy eyes. The red haired man was smiling lazily.

"Makes you nostalgic for when you were a kid, huh?"

After sparing it a thought, he shook his head, "Not really."

They both laughed, and then he extended his hand to his companion.

"I'm Bryan," he introduced himself.

The other nodded, shaking it firmly, "Yuri," he said.

Bryan looked at the playground again, "I'm not usually this kind of person, but today really is a beautiful day."

"I agree," Yuri answered, "Weird though—everyone's wearing coats when yesterday it was so hot I took my shirt off!"

Bryan shook an image of the man shirtless from his head and looked at him incredulously, "You're joking? It was freezing yesterday!"

An eyebrow rose in amused confusion, "Just where were you yesterday, the North Pole?"

Laughing, Bryan shook his head. He wasn't sure if the other was telling the truth, but decided to let the matter go.

"So anyway, Yuri," he began, "What do you do?"

"Oh, me? Well, I still am at university. Though I work part-time as a waiter," Yuri responded quite easily, and Bryan was glad that he wasn't uptight.

"What'd you study?" he encouraged the conversation.

"Architecture," Yuri said and grinned as though remembering something very pleasant.

"Wow," Bryan exclaimed, "Well, that beats me."

Yuri was not facing him fully, "What about you?"

"Not much—I work in a tattoo shop." Bryan replied and put his hands behind his neck, looking slyly at the other and watching for a reaction. At first Yuri's features remained stationary, then they twitched, and then he looked incredulous.

"_Not much_?" he snorted, "I'd say that's way cool." His eyes had narrowed mischievously and Bryan watched with apprehension, "So you have a lot of tattoos?"

Bryan shrugged, "Part of the trade."

Yuri reclined into the bench as child squealed and laughed loudly from the monkey bars. "I love tattoos," he admitted.

Bryan's brow rose, "Yeah? So you have some?"

"Just one."

They shared a smile in the thrill of the body art, and Bryan felt his breath being carried away once again. He was deciding whether it was best to end this right then and leave when Yuri moved to his feet and stretched.

"Well, I better get going," he said, and offered his hand for Bryan to shake, "It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise," Bryan nodded.

Yuri turned to leave and then faced him again.

"You know," he said, hesitantly, "I was thinking about getting another tattoo for the longest time. If you're good, I might just come to your shop."

Bryan was surprised for a moment. "You can drop in for a look," he replied quickly to cover up.

Yuri nodded.

"Do you live far from here?" Bryan asked.

Yuri glanced at him and then shook his head no. "A couple minute walk," he informed.

"Well," Bryan grinned, "How do you feel about meeting here around 10ish tomorrow?"

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	2. The First Date

**Notes**: Already updating! Thank you **KTBR** and **SoraItou **for reviewing!

**Much unlike** the previous day, the sky loomed dim and dismal. There were only two kids playing on the slide, and the accompanying adult looked ready to leave. As he walked, Bryan felt that it wasn't a very promising day despite his optimism for his meeting. His destination was the wooden bench, and as he reached it he found it expectedly empty.

His watch told him that it was nine forty five; Yuri should not be there for another fifteen minutes. Relaxing on the hard seat, he put his hands behind his head and waited, watching intently for the smallest gleam of red.

Twenty minutes went by, and then thirty five. Bryan sat agitatedly and wondered if he'd been stood up. He thought for a moment of his own stupidity to believe that a complete stranger would want to meet up with him for a second time. But then, at the end of the walkway two figures appeared. One of them was undoubtly Yuri; the fiery locks stood out in great contrast to both his pale complexion and the surroundings. The other was a man with raven hair, wrapped back and swinging haphazardly as they approached.

They were chatting animatedly, the black-haired man laughing mirthfully at something Yuri said. Unbidden, a slight note of jealously began bothering Bryan but he crushed it and awaited them with a smile.

Finally they reached him, and he saw that Yuri was dressed in the same white, hooded jacket of the past day. He himself had exchanged his jacket for a longer, black coat, but had kept the emerald scarf. The two men spared him only a glance.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" Yuri asked.

Surprised, Bryan shook his head, "Not at all."

They sat side by side and chatted quietly as he waited to be acknowledged. But both men ignored him completely and he began feeling awkward.

"So Yuri," he said, finally, "Still interested in a tattoo?"

All movement and talk ceased between the two individuals. Icy blue as well as gleaming gold swivelled to pin him under an excruciating gaze.

"Excuse me?" Yuri demanded, "How do you know my name?"

Truly confused, Bryan met his gaze squarely, "Hey," he said, "Don't you pull that on me. If you didn't want to meet, you could of refused my offer yesterday."

Yuri was on his feet in an instant, "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, "What offer? How do you know my name?"

Bryan moved to stand as well, exasperatedly. "Listen, I'm not up for jokes. Drop the act, it's fine; I'll leave."

"No you won't," Yuri snarled, looking angry now, "What are you, some kind of stalker or something?"

"Calm down," his companion said, turning a scorching glare on Bryan. He looked oriental, Chinese perhaps, and had sharp, unnatural fangs. "Why don't you walk around for a bit and I'll take care of this jerk here?"

Yuri shook his head, "No Rei, I want to know what the hell he's getting at."

Rei pushed him away lightly, "Go," he ordered, and Yuri complied after shooting Bryan a dirty look. The second he was out of hearing range, Bryan felt himself thrown back and pinned into the bench. The fangs leered at him.

"Look pal," the golden-eyed man said, "I don't know who the heck you are and truly I don't care. But you better stay away from him," he jerked his head in Yuri's direction.

Bryan pushed him away angrily and towered over the shorter, unyielding form. "What are you, his boyfriend?" he spat, "What the fuck is going on, huh? He meets me yesterday and talks about getting a tattoo and now he acts like he's never seen me before!"

"So you met him yesterday," Rei crossed his arms, "He's not acting."

"The hell he's not!" Bryan retorted.

Rei sighed and looked worn out for a second. "He's not," he confirmed, "He just doesn't remember."

Bryan laughed derisively. Rei's brows furrowed into a frown, "He doesn't. He was in an accident a year and a half ago and now he doesn't remember anything that happened to him since."

Bryan was speechless for a second, "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"That means," Rei began slowly, "That he lost his ability to convert short term memories to long term ones. Which makes him live every day in isolation—his mind gets wiped clean every night as he sleeps."

There was a moment of silence as Rei pondered his own words sadly. Bryan stared at him for any sign of a lie. Slightly disbelieving, he said, "Is this a joke?"

Rei shook his head, "I wish it was. Stay away from him." he turned and began walking in the direction Yuri had taken. He stopped after two steps but did not turn.

"And I'm not his boyfriend," he told Bryan, "Just a protective friend." And then he disappeared rapidly along the path.

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	3. A Night Out

**Notes**: Thank to SoraItou for reviewing, as well as to the Anon.

**Feeling rather** dejected, Bryan found himself in the tattoo shop for the rest of the day attending to clients. In a way he could not fully process what he'd been told earlier about Yuri. On the other hand, he could not think of why Yuri's friend, Rei, would lie to him. And the fact that the red haired man would not leave his thoughts despite his best efforts made him increasingly frustrated.

His coworkers and friends had not failed to notice his changed behaviour. They knew that tattooing was what Bryan loved to do most in the world. As such, they linked his unusually short temper to having a bad day in general.

"You want to talk about it?" a tanned, light blue haired man questioned when Bryan cursed angrily upon accidentally dropping a needle, "You're on such a short fuse."

"No, Garland," Bryan said through gritted teeth.

"Hey, leave him be until he cools down about it," Julia, a beautiful girl who co-owned the shop with Bryan, spoke as she chewed loudly on a piece of gum.

"Thank you," Bryan scoffed, and turned back to cleaning and sanitizing the equipment form his last customer.

"Okay guys," said a blonde, handsome boy from where he lounged lazily on the couch, "I know Julia's got one more client, but I think we should take a break after and go out tonight. So how about it?"

Garland flexed his muscles and grinned, "You know, Miguel, you have the tendency to say the right thing at the right time."

"I say we do it," Julia supported, "We haven't done anything fun for a long time now."

All three turned on Bryan, who kept his eyes firmly on the tattoo gun in his hand, "What says you?"

"You guys go, but only if you finish everything you've got today," he told them.

Julia's hand snaked along his neck, "Oh, no," she lamented, "You're coming with us." Bryan's protest was cut short when she turned, grinning, and called to the last member of their little club.

"Oi, Raul, we're going out tonight!"

Any attempt of Bryan's to oppose his friends proved to be useless. By seven in the evening he found himself being driven quite along his will in Julia's cruiser to a bar they had all learned to love. Miguel, Garland, and Raul were all squeezed in the back, assuring him that they did not need the empty seat his not being there would have offered. But they were right; by the time the neon sign blaring SOLYANKA CLUB zoomed nearer, Bryan was already anticipating the night. Garland and Miguel hooted in the back as Julia parked the car, and they all jumped out.

The line into the dance club was not long; they were soon out of the cold and into the combined heat of the bodies thriving in the wide, nicely decorated space. The music was blaring, and a few people were dancing. Others were sipping on their drinks and laughing in excitement for what the night would bring. Still others were in the game area, playing pool and causing a ruckus.

The five friends sat at the bar and let themselves go.

"Oh fuckkk," Bryan swore as the keys slipped out from his hand for the second time.

"Here, let me do it," Miguel whispered, leaning for support on the corridor wall.

"No," Bryan snapped and picked the keys up again, trying to jab them in the keyhole and open his apartment door. It was one in the morning and they had just gotten back from their night out. Julia had dropped them at his apartment since Miguel lived father away and took Garland to crash with her and her brother. Bryan snorted as he remembered all the obvious touches and smiles the two had shared as the key finally slipped in and the door gave way.

They stumbled from the dimly lit corridor into the darker house. Bryan's hand found the light switch and flipped it on. He winced from the sudden onslaught and Miguel cursed fluently, moving from the narrow entrance hall into a side door. Bryan sighed and followed, feeling exhausted. He usually held alcohol very well, but knew he'd taken it a step too far that night. He felt disoriented and acknowledged that he was truly wasted. Laughing quietly under his breath, he followed his guest into his own bedroom.

Miguel had fallen, still wearing shoes, in the center of Bryan's king sized bed. The lilac-haired man sighed and pulled them off before ordering him roughly to move to the side.

"Nnn," Miguel protested but obliged. In the half darkness of the room, the moon outside being the only source of illumination, Bryan saw that his eyes were unfocused. He laughed again, despite himself.

"Fuck this," he said as he dropped, fully dressed, on the right side of the bed, "Tomorrow's going to be shit. Hangovers and work don't mix very well."

A murmur of agreement greeted him from his companion, who then said, "Unlike my cocktail."

Bryan hated the continuous urge to laugh, but allowed himself a chuckle. He turned on his side and closed his eyes, ready to travel to dreamland.

It was not long before he felt arms snake around him and Miguel pressing his face into the back of his jacket. Too lazy to object to this action, he let himself drift off.

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	4. The Second Date

**Notes**: Thanks to Gabz and SoraItou for reviewing! I appreciate it. This chapter is shorter than the other ones, sorry guys. But I promise that the next one is going to be the longest yet if I get enough reviews.

**The first** words out of Miguel's mouth the next morning were, "Did we do anything?"

Bryan, feeling a familiar crackling in his head, groaned loudly. He squinted his eyes and looked down on their entwined bodies; both were only dressed in boxers. He cursed and shoved his friend away. Sitting up quickly, he put a hand to his head and waited for the pounding headache to settle. He let his mind wander, thinking of the night before…

"All I remember is us falling asleep fully dressed. Both of us," he said.

Miguel rubbed his arm and sat up much more tentatively, "Yes fuck, we probably didn't, then. Didn't have to shove me like that."

"You don't need to snuggle up to me every time we share a sleeping space," Bryan retorted.

"Hey, I do it subconsciously. I'm a snugly type of guy," Miguel replied, sounding hurt.

Bryan rubbed his temple, "How did we get almost nude, you think?"

Miguel shrugged, "It probably got uncomfortable sleeping with jackets and shit, so we must've stripped." His words were supported by the clothes that were scattered all over; some were tangled on the bed, others on the floor. Miguel's jeans obscured a large part of his computer in the corner. Turning to look out of the window, Bryan realized that the day was dreary just like the day before. For the sun that would otherwise have been shining was snuffed behind greying clouds.

"Think it's going to rain?" Miguel questioned, having followed his gaze.

Shrugging indefinitely, Bryan moved to his feet, trying to ignore the headache that magnified tenfold as he did so. He saw Miguel wince as he copied him.

"I know one thing," the blonde said, "You better have something for headaches and nausea if we're going to get our asses down to the shop."

It was a full week later that Bryan found himself wandering through the park in which he'd met Yuri. He kept telling himself that it had nothing to do with the man, but could not help keeping an eye out for blazing red. As he approached, he was pleasantly surprised to find Yuri seated, alone once again, on the same wooden bench.

He stopped in his tracks, wondering if he should speak to him. Only when a mother pushing a stroller tutted disapprovingly and manoeuvred around him did he set off again.

Due to the warmer weather that day, Yuri was wearing only a sweater. It was grey and matched him immensely. Bryan approached cautiously, wondering if this meeting of theirs would go as smoothly as their first. Rei's words resounded in his head, _"Stay away from him."_ But he ignored them completely and seated himself on the opposite end of the bench. Yuri paid him no heed, opting to look at the children chasing each other in the playground instead.

Getting slightly agitated, Bryan discretely watched the other for any sign of recognition. But after a while, any hope that Rei had been lying to him evaporated, for Yuri seemed genuine. Bryan struggled with whether he should he speak at all, and if so, how to begin. It would be weird to abruptly introduce himself, that was for sure. He thought that maybe he should make a cliché comment about the weather. Before he could open his mouth, the man turned to face him.

"Do you come from a country where it's okay to stare at strangers?" he asked.

"What? No," Bryan said quickly, "I come from this country—I mean, it was just, your hair… never mind." He clamped his mouth shut and mentally cursed himself. Moving to his feet, he strode away before he could come off as more of a fool. His only comfort was that by the next day, Yuri would remember none of this at all.

As he turned around the corner he stopped by a yellowing tree. Leaning against it, he had an indescribable urge to speak to Yuri again, but knew that he'd ruined his chances for the day. He wondered if Yuri's visits to the park were a daily pattern that he could use to his advantage. Determined to check and find out the next day, he continued his way back out of the park.

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	5. The Third Date Part One

**Notes**: Thanks, SoraItou and Gabz for the reviews! Here it is, longer as promised (not too long though…). The second part of this date will be up shortly!

**It was indeed** the very next day when Bryan stepped into the park, once again, at ten a.m. He had been so determined to do this that he'd had his client convinced that Julia was the perfect tattooist to tend to his needs. Of course, that had not been very difficult as the man had taken one glance at Julia and shrugged in agreement.

Now Bryan found himself gaining determinedly on the bench, which he found to be disappointingly empty. He sat down gingerly and his eyes flitted around for any sign of the one he was hoping to catch. He looked down momentarily only to find a discarded newspaper, dated to the day before. Resigning to the fact that he might just as well break his habit of _not _reading the paper, he picked it up.

The front page had a huge picture of some officials along with an article about some security turbulences. Flipping it over, he began to scan the rest of the news. He became so immersed in an article about a drunk driver killing a family of five that he did not notice somebody had approached.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" the question was tentative.

Bryan looked up, about to shrug nonchalantly, and his heart skipped a beat. "Of course," he found himself saying to a slightly smiling Yuri, "I mean, of course you can."

Yuri sat down and folded his hands in his lap. Bryan buried his face behind the paper and wondered how he should start a conversation. A comment on the weather might not have worked too well since it looked like the heavens was considering soaking them. His eyes stared unseeingly at a picture of one of the heavily wounded children being rushed to the ambulance. His fist clenched and unclenched. What if Yuri rejected him again? For a second there was nothing but silence and then Yuri shifted.

"If… if me sitting here bothers you, then I can leave. It's just that I come here every Sunday."

"What?" Bryan looked about distractedly, about to comment that it was Saturday, then changed his mind, "Not at all. It's, ah," he thought wildly and his eyes found the injured boy's picture again, "It's this article. Some drunken idiot got behind the wheel and killed a whole family."

Yuri's eyebrows knitted lightly in sympathy, and he held out his hand, "Can I see the paper? If you don't mind…"

Relieved, Bryan handed it over without thinking, "Oh, sure. No problem."

For a second the red haired man looked solemn as he read over the few paragraphs stating the accident. Then, still slightly frowning, he started to flip through the rest of the paper absentmindedly. Bryan watched him, his mind running with how he should interrupt. Was Yuri a newspaper fan? Did he want to flip through the rest of the pages undisturbed? Would he be annoyed if Bryan cut through his thoughts to make random conversation? As this question flitted through his mind, Bryan saw that Yuri's frown was becoming more and more pronounced, now with confusion and alarm rather than sympathetic connection. He wondered if the rest of the news contained more articles about idiots killing innocent people.

And then Yuri looked up, his eyes uncertain, "But that can't be right…" he whispered, and Bryan suddenly understood. He reached over for the now discarded newspaper and swore, as though he had been hoping otherwise, when he saw it dated in big, clean letters. Yuri stood up, staring at him.

"Do you have a cell phone?" he demanded.

Bryan found himself on his feet as well, "Uhh…"

"Well? Do you?"

Sighing, Bryan took out his phone and handed it over, and watched Yuri shake his head as he looked at the date on the screen. Handing it back, he turned and began to walk quickly away. Bryan fumbled with the device, threw it in his pocket, and followed.

"Wait, Yuri!" Bryan called, "Wait!"

Yuri stopped, his mouth opened in surprise, and then he began to run. Swearing angrily, Bryan quickened his own pace. His heart beat erratically; had he triggered some kind of psychological reaction or something? Or was it just overwhelming confusion that was driving the other man to sprint to… wherever he was going?

They ran and ran, Yuri and Bryan in pursuit. Once, Bryan's heart gave a frantic lurch when Yuri jumped recklessly amidst the traffic and continued across the street. The beeping of the horns and the screeching of braking tires was way past them now. They were reaching an area of secluded, expensive houses, each placed within its own territory. Bryan might have been impressed had he not been too out of breath. Yuri had stopped running, merely trudging along and looking exhausted. It was just as well for Bryan, who kept his distance, his heart still thudding. As he walked, Bryan put his hands in his pockets and wondered why he had followed.

It was obvious that Yuri was heading home; would Bryan be welcomed by Yuri's family? He had a feeling that they wouldn't, but felt that Yuri finding out was somehow his responsibility. Of course, Yuri could have come along and found the paper anyway, but still…

Yuri had now turned into a driveway of a house with three expensive-looking cars perched outside. Bryan stopped at the gate, sceptical about trespassing. He watched the other man make his way to the door and punch it, sagging against it. Not long after, the door was pulled open, and to Bryan's horror, it was Rei who caught Yuri's falling form.

"I don't understand," he heard Yuri say in a choked voice as he hugged Rei rather desperately. And then, before Bryan could have thought to react, Rei looked up and over Yuri's shoulder and squarely met Bryan's eyes. _Shit_, Bryan thought. The ebony haired man pulled the redhead into the house, calling out some names, and then came storming back outside.

"Fucking hell," he spat when he had reached Bryan, "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing," Bryan said calmly, "I didn't do anything."

"Hell you didn't! What's this he was babbling about reading the newspaper and the date was all wrong and living a lie and got know what the hell is going on?!" Rei said, looking almost hysterical.

Bryan breathed in deeply, "He found a discarded newspaper. He read it. I didn't have to do anything with it." he told him. Being truthful would not have helped the situation anyhow…

"But you just happened to be there?" Rei demanded.

"I—" Bryan sighed, "Fine. I went to see him."

Rei opened his mouth, shut it, and ran a hand through his hair.

"I know you told me to stay away from him," Bryan began.

"I meant it," Rei cut in.

"I know," Bryan compensated, "But I can't. I tried. I can't."

It was Rei who sighed this time. The man turned on his heel and began making his way back to the house. Bryan found himself falling in step with him, and when the other did not comment, he followed him up the driveway and through the doorway.

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	6. The Third Date Part Two

**Notes**: Much thanks to my two faithful reviewers, Gabz and SoraItou. As promised, the second part! It's a sad part, but don't worry, it'll get better. Also, I think that this is the longest chapter so far. Hooray!

**The living room** was elegantly furnished with a leather couch set and dark mahogany wood. Bryan's eyes sought one thing only, and that was Yuri's form slumped in the loveseat, hunched so that his hair fell to cover his face. The blaze of it made the red of the leather seat seem dark and unpleasing in contrast. His dark jacket had been taken off to reveal a light blue, striped shirt underneath. Bryan stood and hesitated at the door.

"And _who_ is that?" A man with multi-toned grey hair and piercing crimson eyes questioned Rei. Beside him stood another man with very dark orange hair and azure eyes; unlike the one who asked the question, he seemed genuinely concerned and had a pleasant air around him. Yuri looked up before Rei could answer, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"He was at the park," he said, "He somehow knows my name."

Rei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "You've met him before," he said, "But… you don't remember…"

Yuri buried his face in his hands, "What the hell has happened to me?" Rei sat down beside him, and put his arm around the form.

"Listen, Yuri. I'm sorry, but today is not Sunday, July 13th. You were in an accident on July 12th, 2006, and you received extensive head injury. You lost your ability to keep memories since then," he explained gently. Yuri sat still as though not comprehending what he was being told.

Then he said, "So—so I've been living a lie for the past…year and seven months? And today, today is Friday February 8th 2008?"

Rei frowned slightly, "Actually, it's Saturday the 9th."

Bryan breathed in deeply, "That was yesterday's paper, Yuri," he said softly. Yuri lifted his head and stared straight at him, looking fragile. Then he looked down and bit his lip.

"Goddamn it," he said, "Goddamn it! So today is not Brooklyn's birthday?"

"No," Rei shook his head, "Even though it has been Brook's birthday everyday for the past year and seven months. What is he now? 500 years old?" he smiled lightly, hoping to make the situation better. This only served to agitate Yuri further.

"So you guys have been acting all this time? I mean, I don't remember, but you haven't told me this before? You act like it's July 13th everyday?" he asked.

"Everyday," the man with dark orange hair said, "But I don't mind. Can't get better than it being my birthday everyday, now can it?"

Yuri looked up at him, and slapped his hand away when Brooklyn tried to ruffle his hair. "This seems so surreal right now," he laughed, hollowly; "It just doesn't make sense." He turned and looked at the last member, whose arms were firmly crossed, "And Kai—he's still a jerk?"

"Still a jerk," Brooklyn confirmed and shared a chuckle with Rei, who got up and threw his arm around Kai's shoulder.

"He's Kai," he said slyly, "He wouldn't be Kai if he wasn't a jerk."

Throughout all this, Bryan, still standing at the door, felt awkward and out of place. It felt like he was intruding on something private between friends. Rei seemed to notice, and moved forward to drag him into a seat.

"Don't look so tense," he told him. Bryan discreetly rolled his eyes.

"What's your name?" Yuri now asked him. Despite his collected outer demeanour, his blue eyes barely covered pain and a hint of panic as he trained them on Bryan. "Have we known each other long?"

Bryan felt even more uncomfortable under his gaze, "I'm Bryan. Not long, we just met a couple of times at the park, that's all."

Yuri nodded and began to run his hands through his hair. He looked solemn now, and the mood in the room immediately dimmed. Outside it was beginning to rain lightly; the patter of the water droplets on the windows far apart. But even as they sat in silence, the rain began to pout heavier, and soon there was a steady rhythm on the glass.

Yuri breathed in, "How did I get like this?" he asked, without looking at anyone, "What kind of accident?"

Brooklyn, who had perched on the arm of the loveseat, put his hand on Yuri's shoulder and squeezed. Bryan looked on, waiting for the details himself. When no one said anything, Yuri looked up angrily, "Well?" he demanded.

"Car accident," Brooklyn began, "You were driving back at night from the university. Some… drunkard smashed into your car—"

"No!" Yuri sat up, "My car?"

"We fixed it," Kai assured him, "It's in the garage."

The red haired man slumped down again as Brooklyn's hand progressed its way to the nape of his neck and caressed the skin soothingly. "Your car is fixed. But you—god, you almost gave me a heart attack. When I saw you, you looked so lifeless. None of us knew what to do." His voice had deteriorated into a whisper, and Bryan felt like an intruder again.

Rei picked up, "You were out for a whole month; when you came to we were so happy. And then the doctor tells us that you damaged your temporal lobe, that you won't remember anything from then on. But at least you could remember the past."

Yuri's eyes had watered; he titled his chin and stared hard at his feet, "And you guys stood by me all this time."

"Of course," it was Kai who spoke this time, quietly though firmly, "How can you say that?"

A moment of stillness followed as Yuri continued assessing his feet. And then he wiped his sleeve across his eyes and stood up. "I—I need—" his voice caught. Seemingly given up, he simply turned and walked out.

"I'm sorry," Bryan said after a while. "For what happened. And for being here when maybe I shouldn't have."

Rei shook his head, "It's fine. Really. Yuri probably won't remember any of this tomorrow," he walked toward the door and faced the room again, "Maybe I should check up on him."

Bryan stood up, "Can I?"

"And why would you?" Kai asked sceptically, eyebrows raised.

Before Bryan could formulate an acceptable reason, Rei spoke, "If you want."

He found Yuri on the back porch, soaked through by the rain. Steadily getting wet himself, he walked over and sat beside him.

"You'll get sick out here," he said, lightly.

Yuri spared him a sideways glance. Through the rain it was hard to tell whether he had tear tracks on his face. But his eyes were red, and his lip quivered slightly. He only shrugged in reply.

"Listen, I'm sorry," Bryan said, not knowing what else to say.

"What for?" Yuri questioned.

"For this. It must be really hard on you."

After a second, Yuri laughed, "What's the point. I won't remember it tomorrow."

Bryan thought for a moment, "Maybe, maybe there is a way to reverse this."

Yuri ducked his head but not answer.

**I think** I deserve a couple of reviews, yes?


End file.
